Friends: The Benefits
by JustYourAverageCasualFan
Summary: Remus and Lily were always friends. So, they helped each other when needed. (A series of One-shots, not necessarily related).
1. Chapter 1

**Hence the Name**

Lily Evans- infamous prefect and 5th year Gryffindor- pelted across the dewy grass of the main quadrangle, ponytail flailing behind her. As she rushed in the to the gothic main building of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, almost taking flight as she did so, she almost missed the three teenagers lurking next to the store cupboard. Almost, that is.  
>"Potter! What are you doing?" she demanded, resting her wand on her hip.<br>The black haired idiot in question whipped round in surprise: an emotion mirrored by his three companions. _Three… _Black turned to the stumpy Pettigrew, who had suddenly appeared, and clobbered him. Said wizard subsequently disappeared in front of Lily's very confused eyes. What was more befuddling was the fact that the remaining Marauders, Lily's friend Remus in particular, were staring in dismay at a small rat, scurrying around in exactly the spot where Pettigrew had previously stood. Eventually, the cogs turned in Lily's mind and she paled, one word ricocheting in her mind over and over again: _Animagus._ It made sense, what with Remus' condition. Remembering her duties in the charms corridor (where patrols were required after a large amount of Peeves related casualties), Lily swallowed and, after a swift dismissal, sprinted off.

* * *

><p>Two hours later- at six o' clock-, four teenage boys stood stiffly in the corner of the Gryffindor common room, the cheery red drapes a stark contrast to their gloomy moods. Lily spotted them immediately upon stepping through the portrait hole and marched over, her face a porcelain mask. Sparing barely a glance at school heartthrob Sirius Black and the diminutive Peter Pettigrew, she demanded "Are you all Animagus?"<br>James nodded and so did Remus, although hesitantly. Lily looked at him "I know you're not."  
>Potter's eyes flashed "What are you insinuating?"<br>Lily ignored him, pointing her wand at Remus "What if you were to get caught? What if you were to injure on of your friends? Does Dumbledore know?"  
>The werewolf gulped. The guilt swamping his eyes just about broke Lily's heart but she was relentless "Does he?"<br>"No."  
>She nodded. "Well, he will do soon."<br>It was at that moment that Black snapped. He lunged towards Lily, spitting profanities, and would probably have ripped her head off if it weren't for James and Remus, who grabbed their friend. Even so, Lily did receive a nasty burn from the Black heir's wand.  
>"Sirius!" admonished Remus, before motioning for Lily to go and following afterwards.<p>

* * *

><p>"Lily," Remus began, his voice ripping across the silence that had enveloped the pair "I'm sorry about Sirius." A sigh "He and James and Peter appear to be of the strong opinion that, well…"<br>Lily couldn't look at the face that produced such a melancholy tone "They'll get expelled."  
>"Yes, but I think Sirius was more concerned about me when that happens- he and James have money but I… well, let's just say that it'll be hard for me to get a job."<br>"Shut up!" Lily brought Remus to a stop, staring at him intently "Have you no faith in me at all? Trust me."

* * *

><p>Remus did trust Lily, and therefore, half an hour later when the pair descended the gargoyle staircase the werewolf was beaming. He was, however, rather curious "Why," he enquired of the redhead he had just embraced joyously "Would you- the mature and respected Lily Evans- bother to persuade the headmaster to enforce measures to make it easier for me and my friends to do about a dozen illegal things more safely?"<br>"Well," the girl replied, executing a little pirouette "some rules are stupid and are just there to be broken- so long as you do it safely."  
>Remus' eyes sparkled "Oh?"<br>Lily checked that no-one was around. Missing the two invisible figures- for good reason- she continued conspiratorially "Well, you know Glastonbury…"  
>"The place?"<br>"Well, yes, but the music festival."  
>"Oh." Unbeknownst to herself, Lily was receiving some appreciative nods.<br>"Yep."  
>"How did your Mum let you go to that?" Remus asked, thinking of the perfectly respectable woman Lily met at the station every summer.<br>"I may have told her I was visiting Sev."  
>At this Remus' good nature made an appearance "Did you go with anyone?"<br>"Yes, I'm not mad you know." Then she winked at her friend "Probably."  
>"You seem happy." Remus noted; much more buoyant than he'd ever seen Lily Evans, at least.<br>"I'm relieved." She informed him "Do you have any idea how hard it is to be friends with someone when they don't know that you know that they turn in to a rabid beast once every few months?"  
>"No."<br>"Good, because I've had three years of it and I would hate to have diagnosed the wrong person with lycanthropy."  
>"Th…three years!" spluttered Remus.<br>Lily nudged him playfully "Come on, Lupin- it's in your name!"

**A/N: Because Lily cares about nearly everyone but that doesn't make her soft. Please review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The more observant among you may have noticed that the story status has change to complete. This is not, as you would expect, because it is finished but because each entry is complete within itself. I own nothing mentioned. Please review if you have time.**

Lily Drew or the Letters of the Summer Holiday before 6th Year

Remus Lupin was bored. Very bored. Bored to the extent that he almost got excited when the clock hands moved. He could, he supposed, have contemplated life or imagined a story in his head but he had covered all of those options in the first week of the holidays. So it was a great relief to him when an unfamiliar owl fluttered up to his kitchen window one particularly dreary day. The owl, which was small, brown and unremarkable, deposited a little brown wrapped package and an envelope on the oak table. Remus fed the bird some of his toast- taking care to take off most of the marmalade, heavens knows what marmalade can do to an owl- and it flew off, hooting happily. The teen decided to open the letter first. It read:

_Dear Remus,_

_ Hello! How are you? I went to France with my family last week (I think I told you where exactly, but in case I didn't it was Lille, a lovely town in the north) and I got you a present. It was one of those 'saw this and thought of you' moments! Morgy- that's my owl's name by the way- should have brought it to you along with this letter but if she's lost it there's a charm you can use to get it back. _

_Other than that, Tuney is being beastly, I'm not talking to Severus and I have to stay in bed because I've broken my leg. Anything more exciting happening your end?_

_Love, _

_Lily_

Remus smiled. Yes, James and Sirius and Peter were a heaven send (although you wouldn't catch him admitting that to their faces) but it was nice to communicate with someone not entirely fuelled by their testosterone. Unwrapping the paper, Remus was also looking for his quill so it was quite a surprise when he got 'round to inspecting the gift. Lily's present was a framed muggle picture of a cartoon werewolf sitting calmly and reading a book under the full moon. This was especially hilarious as on a full moon not so long ago every one of the Marauders but Remus had found themselves in detention. Therefore, when Remus bade his apologetic friends good night, he was not in high spirits. However, when he was about to enter the whomping willow, the boy was stopped by a flushed redhead carrying a blanket and a battered copy of a muggle mystery book. Hesitantly, the pair entered the Forbidden Forest and Lily-with his permission of course-bound Remus with a charm. The sight of a werewolf hovering a meter above the ground being read to calmly by a fifteen year old girl wrapped up in a blanket was, on the other hand, not the strangest thing ever to be seen in that forest.

**Dear Lily,**

**Thanks for the present! France sounds lovely. Don't worry about your sister, she'll come round, and I'm sure you'll work something out with Snape. How did you break your leg? And why does it mean you have to stay in bed? I'm going to stay at James' soon so that should be fun but at the moment nothing much is happening. **

**I look forward to hearing from you, **

**Remus**

Lily's next correspondence arrived in a very peculiar way- through the letter box. Except, the Lupin's door had no letter box so the befuddled postman had to leave it on the porch.

_Dear Remus,_

_I'm not sure I'll be able to bridge the gaps in time. This has in part to do with the reason for my broken leg (I have to stay in bed to let it heal- no underage magic!), which is of the upmost secrecy. Hence the muggle post. Do you remember that book I read to you about the Hardy Boys? Well, I've been doing something quite similar for Dumbledore. You see, for some reason the so called Death Eaters appear to have set up camp near Cokeworth and this happened to coincide with a local disappearance. My interest, obviously, was piqued by this and when Dumbledore sent me a letter asking whether I could enquire as to whether there were any illicit dealings… well, I am a Gryffindor. Anyway, I did find some things- a lot of things, actually- and I will tell you about them, but in person. I was caught, though, by Black's cousin and as I ran away she conjured up a small wall which I tripped over. Not exactly heroic. _

_Yours faithfully, _

_Lily_

Remus tutted. So much for sensible. He was, however, quite concerned by the fact that his friend had been sneaking around and getting attacked by Sirius' relations. Then he burst in to mirth; if he was reacting like that, who knows what James would say? Remus scoured the land for another piece of parchment and the replied:

**Dear Lily,**

** You of all people should know that being Gryffindor isn't all about the action, or even the results but the will to do things quite possibly at your own cost for the good of others. I don't like to think of anyone in our school, people who we may have helped up in corridors (yes, we do that and I know you would), colluding to bring down society as we know it, but alas they may well be. When can I speak to you? I don't suppose your family would object to my visiting you at home?**

**Respectfully, Remus**

**P.S. I vaguely remember the book in question. Something about towers? But I suppose you were alluding to the spy element.**

The muggleborn's reply arrived disturbingly late in the holidays, after Remus had spent a luxuriously transformation free week at the Potters and when the boy was becoming considerably concerned for his fellow Prefect's well-being. It was written quite hastily, or at least with a shaking hand.

_Remus,_

_ Sorry for the late reply, sister dearest got a hold of EVERY magical item I had (including my owl) and threw them in to the river in what must be the worst tantrum anyone has ever had ever! Excuse my lapse in grammar, it is hard to remain polite when I am shaking with anger and- to be honest with you and myself- betrayal. All's well that ends well, though, and my parents made good old Tuney buy me all the stuff again. You should have seen her face when I went to Diagon Alley! It was an odd mix of pure elation and the bitterest contempt and petty childhood jealousy which made her features contort in such a way… Anyhow, meet me in London, it's hard to find people there and our encounter won't be remarkable. Come in to Charring Cross and find me in Trafalgar Square, I'll be by the left lion. 1PM on the 13__th__ August. _

_Love, Lily_

After a few days of wearing down his parents, Remus was finally granted permission to send a brief reply and then arrange a train ticket. As he sent of the owl he had one thought: _the things I do for my friends…_

**Dear Lily,**

** I'll be there.**

**Love, Remus**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm still here! Sorry for the long wait and short chapter. I own nothing. Please leave a review if you have time.

**Friends: The Benefits Chapter Three  
>The Announcement<strong>

The King's Head was packed, an old Tudor house filled with cigarette smoke, laughter, booze and jazzy music. At one small table, shoved in to the corner near the busy bar, sat two young friends. One was a tired looking man, eyes alight with curiosity despite his uncombed hair while the other was an equally washed woman with long red locks tied back in to a ponytail. She fiddled with her glass of water as the man leaned in and asked quietly "Why did we meet in a muggle pub Lily?"  
>Lily looked up glumly "They'll be recruiting." She didn't need to explain who 'they' were "Remus, just ask what you were going to ask and be done with it."<br>Remus frowned at the resigned tone of the instruction but obeyed, having to increase his volume to be heard over the Saturday night clamour "Why did we meet now? What have you got to tell me?"  
>Lily took a long swig of her water, wishing it was something a lot stronger, and gazed at the muggles around her, so free and happy in their obliviousness. It occurred to her then that she could so easily have been one of them. If Lily hadn't somehow picked up on the magical gene (or whatever way you wanted to explain how none of her family could so much as levitate a pea) she wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts, wouldn't have got herself involved in the darkness. She wouldn't be fighting a hard war against supremacists who wanted her dead, wouldn't be beating off the shadows as she watched those she had grown to love so dearly fall… then again, if Lily wasn't a witch then she<em> wouldn't<em> love her friends so dearly because she wouldn't know them.

Lily looked at Remus- kind, brave Remus who was waiting patiently for an answer with ever increasing worry- and announced "I'm pregnant."  
>Remus looked stunned for a few seconds then recovered, face splitting in to a blinding grin "Really?" he practically shouted, then quieter "Really? You're pregnant? You're going to have a baby?"<br>Lily laughed lightly, happy to see the joy on the Marauder's face. Heaven knows they could all do with some happiness in their lives "Yes! There is a tiny James growing inside me and I half expect him to turn my skin green from within!"  
>The pair laughed again until Remus managed to pull himself together enough to raise his half-drunk beer "A toast to the Potters!"<br>"A toast to the Potters." Lily repeated, glasses clinking together again as the pair made eye contact and dissolved in to happy giggles again, before sinking back in to silence.

Lily was relieved. Extremely relieved, to have finally told somebody about the pregnancy and also to see Remus take the news so well. Then again, it wasn't like him to feel panicky about rejection, unlike Sirius. Now that was something Lily was still waiting for an explanation about. It was also, unfortunately, a thought that led Lily down a very dark path. Unbidden, a myriad of sickening images flitted past her eyelids, set to the tune of a thousand curses and screams.  
>"What's wrong?" Remus asked, having noticed his friend's unusual distress. Lily didn't answer, so the kindly werewolf took her hand in his hand started for her "You're worried. I can tell." His eyes narrowed and he lowered his voice so only they could hear it "It's because of the war isn't it? You're worried something will happen to you. To your child."<br>Lily nodded and a curl of apprehension appeared in Remus' stomach. Hearing the words spoken out loud made them seem so real, as real as the war a baby had no place in. But Remus saw the glint of tears in Lily's eyes and squeezed her hand harder "Don't worry. Sirius and Peter and I – we have your back. We won't let anything happen to any Potters ok? I mean, I assume Prongs made Padfoot the Godfather, so what have you got to worry about?" Remus tried to joke, wishing he had more skill in the area.

To his relief, Lily seemed comforted enough, a small smile twitching at her lips.  
>"Fair point." She whispered.<br>"That's why I'm the clever one."  
>Lily laughed a shaky laugh and glanced at her watch "It's twelve already, I have to get going." She said regretfully.<br>Remus nodded and they made their way out of the pub and around the back. Trying to ignore all of the writhing couples around them, the wizard and witch located a secluded spot from which to apparate. Just before she went, Remus caught Lily's arm and smiled, his cheeky side brought to light a bit by the fermented hops that were just about entering his system "Maybe we can do this again for the next one?"  
>Lily giggled and replied "Maybe." Before disappearing from sight with a small pop.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Maybe. <em>The word echoed around in the man's head as, for the first time in ten years, he passed the King's Head. He sighed. In another world- a better world- Remus wondered whether he could have kept that arrangement. _Maybe_.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to anyone who reviewed/followed/favourited, it's very encouraging. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, I would be very much obliged if you left a review (even if it's to nit-pick the timeline, so long as you do it nicely) and I wish you happy reading. **

Chapter Four: Hospitals and Homework

Lily Evans groaned as she dragged her eyes open. Through a misty consciousness, she was vaguely aware that she was lying in a scratchy bed. There was also a large arched window set in to the stone walls a good way in front of her and two rows of evenly spaced wrought iron beds.  
>"The hospital." Lily muttered to herself- not a location within Hogwarts in which she had spent much time…apart from the odd visit to a certain dark haired beater whenever he got himself especially badly beaten up.<p>

Lily had most definitely not been playing Quidditch, though, so she wondered why every muscle in her body squeaked as she fumbled around on the bedside table for a glass of water. She was still pondering that particular conundrum when, lips mercifully wetted, she saw the looming doors swing open to reveal two of the most loyal students in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Remus Lupin and Alice Longbottom. The former was looking more flustered than when Lily had last seen him- which, she had the feeling, was about a week ago- , his sandy hair rumpled and his few scars dark against his face. Lily knew without checking that a full moon had just passed. Dark haired Alice, on the other hand, was chattering away merrily and hadn't even noticed Lily's interrogative stare.  
>"Ah, you're awake early!" Remus greeted her happily as he dragged Alice towards the hospital bed and sat down "How are you feeling?"<br>"Like I was fed through a wringer multiple times and then beaten with a rounder's bat for good measure. I was then subsequently given a bag of depressant pills and now I'm as stiff as an artist's doll." Lily replied, surprising herself. Usually she wasn't so descriptive.  
>Remus gave her an odd look but Alice laughed, informing her friend that "That's pretty much it. Except there were more death eater types and nasty curses and less…what's a rounder's bat?"<br>"It's a bit like a beater's bat."  
>Alice nodded, enlightened.<br>Lily turned to Remus "So what _exactly_ happened? And how long have I been unconscious?"  
>He frowned "A group of Slytherins were making fun of muggleborns outside the greenhouses at break. You- being you- marched up to them and demanded that they stop. So far as we can tell, a duel ensued and by the time we arrived and someone had gone for a teacher, you'd been hit by some very unsavoury and completely non-textbook spells." The teen's frown deepened "Really, I'd have thought that it would be something you'd remember."<p>

Lily pursed her lips. She was no doctor, but she knew amnesia wasn't a good thing to have.  
>Alice, noting her discomfort, chipped in kindly "But I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will be able to sort it out. Or maybe it's due to Madame Pomfrey that you can't remember anything; she's a real whizz with potions!"<br>Lily smiled gratefully, although a small knot still remained in her stomach. Silence fell across the sparsely populated ward.  
>Lily's eyes drifted to the window and beyond, trying to grasp any whips of recollection or even Déjà vu. Frustratingly, she found none and ended up studying the blue sky outside, just beginning to take on the darker tint of night "What time is it?"<br>"6:30." Alice replied smartly. Then her eyes widened and she gasped "Oh, no, sorry Lily- I've just remembered! I was meant to meet Frank down at the Lake to practice duelling." She flashed her redheaded friend a smile as she dashed away, calling behind her "Don't want to miss an opportunity to get those bastards back, do I?"

As Alice's echoing footsteps receded, it occurred to Lily that she should try standing up. Slowly, she inched her legs towards the edge of the bed. Despite the folds of fabric now pushed uncomfortably against her inner thigh (one distinct disadvantage of wearing robes), her forays were successful. Just as she was about to attempt to raise her head, Remus gently pushed Lily down.  
>"I wouldn't try that if I were you." He advised.<br>"Why?" she retorted, raising an eyebrow.  
>Remus looked amused "Because your head's bleeding slightly."<br>"What?"  
>"Don't be alarmed- it's only a little bit. You've evidently sprung a leak." He reached out to the pile of papers Lily hadn't noticed were balanced on the edge of the parallel bed "Why don't we fill your head back up with knowledge?"<br>Lily made a face caught between affection and horror because, frankly, it was an awful joke but she was pleased that Remus was trying. Especially seeing as he himself looked like he could benefit from releasing some pressure. "You brought homework with you while visiting the infirmed?"  
>"Yes, I did and I'll do it again. Providing you don't throw me out."<br>Lily laughed "So what did we get in Transfiguration, then?"  
>Remus smiled, mirth smoothing over the cracks in his skin "I knew you'd say yes. James and Sirius said 'Nah, she won't want homework while in hospital' but I said 'Yes, yes she would'."<br>"Yeah, yeah, alright you know me better! Now give me the homework."  
>Remus raised an eyebrow "You can't write lying down."<br>Lily smirked "Watch me."  
>"I do believe we've had a bad influence over you."<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I have returned from holiday, so have a chapter. Even though it's very poorly written and with an awful finishing line. Next one will be better, I promise. I own nothing. I hope you find some enjoyment in reading this and leave a review (even if it is to curse me in to oblivion) :D.

**Chapter Five: Heavenly Spies**

Heaven was a very pleasant place. Everything was white- not a harsh white, but a pure and enveloping one- apart from the buildings, which were a clean grey stone. Quaint lampposts lined the neat maze of cobblestone streets, although they were mostly unneeded as a soft glow seemed to emanate from every faucet of the landscape. Really, it wasn't anything at all like what Lily Potter thought it would be. She'd become used to the change, however, over the sixteen years she had lived in the Potter's family abode (which really did house the whole Potter family) and was now settled in to the daily routine: lend a hand, say something nice, read a book, spend some time with James.

However, there was one aspect of her new life that the green eyed beauty would never cease to thoroughly dislike: observing Earth. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her loved ones through the clear rectangle. No, Lily revelled in the chance to tweak the metaphysical settings and have a look at what her son was getting up to, or her friends, even her sister once in a while. It was the awful feeling of uselessness that enveloped Lily when she saw Harry take a beating, or when she used to check in on poor Sirius, or when Remus was sent away from jobs and homes like a disease; then Lily wanted more than anything to jump through the looking glass and throw herself between those few lost souls and all the evil in the world. But, alas, she couldn't.

This was a fact at the painful forefront of Lily's mind when, on the day that the living called the 2nd of May 1998. She, James, Sirius, Mad Eye Moody and a number of other old Order members were gathered around the viewing hole, which had expanded obligingly. The atmosphere was tense, a spring coiled to explode. Lily slipped her hand in to her husbands, taking a small measure of much needed comfort from its warmth.  
>"It's a precipice the like of which we never saw." Mad Eye murmured, artificial eye unusually still.<br>Lily nodded tensely, gaze fixed below. Her mind was in an odd state; it processed every tiny piece of information but simultaneously refused to allow Lily to comprehend anything apart from the fact that, in the space of a few curses, everyone she loved, including the son she had died to protect, could have their life whipped away from them. She wasn't sure if she should be excited or not.

Down below, the company could see Harry and many other young witches and wizards gathering. Harry and Luna sneaking to the Ravenclaw common room. They saw Alecto Carrow summon Voldemort.  
>Lily paled, leaning in to a tense James. He wrapped an arm around her, squeezing tightly. Stood at James' other side, Sirius was attempting to maintain an unaffected appearance. That was abandoned when Amycus Carrow threatened McGonagall, whom Lily knew Sirius held in high esteem- for good reason.<br>"How dare he?" Sirius hissed, hands balled up by his sides. Lily glance at him, but returned her gaze to the window just as quickly. She knew someone else who respected the Scottish professor… and sure enough, Harry whipped off his cloak in a way theatrical enough to be his father and crucioed the offending Death Eater. Although Lily was proud of her son for standing up for McGonagall, she certainly disapproved of the way the dead Marauders cheered. As the figures below prepared to evacuate the school, Lily drifted off in to a kind of trance, chasing thoughts around her head like soap in a sink.

She was abruptly reminded of the current situation by a punch in the arm. Sirius was leaning forwards, excitement written all over his face "Look! Snivelus is getting walloped!"  
>Lily knelt down hurriedly. Sure enough, her ex-best friend was duelling fiercely with the Head of Gryfindor. She bit her lip. Quickly, Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn joined and Severus was running down the corridor- running away. Lily sank back on to her heels, half glad he wasn't hurt and half disappointed. Somehow she'd entertained the subconscious hope that the man she used to trust above all else would turn his allegiances around and fight against her enemies. As Harry and Luna ran back to the Room of Requirement, Lily stood up, only to freeze again in similar surprise to her son when he entered and saw the mass of people.<br>"The old gang and the new gang back together!" James exclaimed, only half joking. The tension rose ten notches with the return of Percy Weasley (which warmed Lily's heart, as well as destroying it) and good old Remus' comical attempts to break the tension. Lily felt herself sympathising with Ginny, a girl in many ways after her own heart. The looking glass followed the situation to the great hall/panic room, filled with scared children and grim adults.

Lily almost cheered when, in true Hufflepuff spirit, Ernie Macmillan stood up for those who wanted to fight. She did cheer, along with the rest of the assembled company, when the three houses stood up in defence of her son against the echoing intimidation of the Dark Lord's voice. Unfortunately, their joy was not long lived as, all too soon, the fighting began. It was awful to witness. Like leaves in a hurricane their old friends were blown about by the Death Eaters, even though they fought back valiantly. All the while, the Potters and Sirius sat in agonising suspension as their boy searched for the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. In fact, they were so focussed on the seventeen year olds- and so horrified by the fire chasing them- that they nearly missed the downfall of their shared best friend. Nearly.

It happened as if in slow motion, like missing a step of a staircase. One moment they were watching fire and the next their view was changing, dreadfully slowly, to another room, battered and broken by battle. Together and in harmony, the Lupins were fighting. They were so close that when the curse- such a vividly mocking green- came flying it hit them both. Killing two birds with one stone. The bodies hit the floor with a thump, useless. Lily blinked, chocking "They had a child!"  
>"I know." James rasped "I know."<br>Lily shook her head, eyes squeezed shut on the concept that 'If I can't see it, it isn't real'. Flashbacks of her own death haunted Lily as she imagined, invisible to all but the dead, Remus' battered soul snaking slowly from his body and rising like mist towards a better sky. Lily peeled open her eyes. To her numb surprise, the perpetually grisly Mad Eye Moody was dabbing at his eyes while Sirius, looking shell shocked, patted his back. She supposed Mad Eye had been closer to his spunky protégée than she'd thought.  
>"Someone needs to meet them." James said, his voice sombre. Lily nodded. She knew from experience that being greeted by a friendly face immediately after death was more reassuring than the knowledge that you had reached Heaven "But..." he rubbed the back of his neck.<br>Despite the situation, Lily smiled a small, fond smile. James hated missing out on the action when his friends or family were involved and, apparently, his son attempting to single handed-ly defeat the self-proclaimed Dark Lord was involved enough.  
>"I'll go." Lily volunteered, noting Sirius' reluctance. It was only fair, he knew more of the New Order.<br>"Bring 'em back here?" Mad Eye suggested, his voice sandpaper.  
>"Obviously." Lily replied, trying to ignore the miniscule flutter of excitement in her stomach as she strode off towards the Pearly Gates.<p>

* * *

><p>The kettle boiled merrily on the counter, the biscuits were disappearing quickly and chatter flowed easily. A light sense of relief hung over the get-together; the war was won. All was righted as Fred cracked jokes, Remus caught up with Padfoot and Prongs, Tonks recounted great stories to Mad Eye and Lily bustled about being hospitable and teasing Marlene Mackinnon. Except, she could sense that something was off. Fred kept turning around for a punchline that wouldn't come, a film of moisture hung over Tonk's eyes and Remus…well, Remus looked fine but Lily had to talk to him just to make sure.<br>"Remus, would you mind lending me a hand with the drinks?"  
>He excused himself obediently and made his way in to the kitchen "Hello, Lily." He greeted her, a little warily. Lily flushed. She <em>may<em> have started sobbing hysterically when he entered Heaven.  
>"Evening." She smiled, gesturing for Remus to lay out some mugs "How are you?"<br>"I'm alright." He replied.  
>Lily raised an eyebrow "Are you sure?"<br>Remus turned away "I suppose I am a little shaken."  
>Lily nodded sympathetically "He'll be fine. Teddy, I mean. He has his Grandma and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys."<br>Lily could see Remus tense as he replied bitterly "Yes, the rest of them."  
>She glanced towards the living room, then placed a comforting hand on Remus' shoulder "They will heal. And it isn't your fault same as it wasn't Sirius' fault that James and I wound up dead."<br>Remus turned to face her, still looking dubious but not anguished. _Still,_ Lily thought, _with time_. There was a moment of quite, filled only by the jubilations of the party a wall away, until Remus asked "Do you think I made the right choice? I mean, when we made Harry godfather we didn't expect that we'd both die when he and Teddy were so young." Remus pursed his lips "Harry's just killed Lord Voldemort, I don't want to add more stress to his load."  
>Lily rolled her eyes "Remus, if he's anything like me he'll want a distraction. Anyway, did you listen to what I just said? They'll all be fine. It will take a few years, but they'll move on to another part of their lives." Like Remus had been forced to do so magnificently. Like, in a way, they had done when they reached Heaven. Perhaps unfortunately, a portal claws you back harder than a few pictures and broken memories.<br>Remus nodded, brows furrowed "But what do we do?"  
>Lily smiled "Catch up on the time we lost and spy on our relatives."<br>Remus smiled slightly "Sounds good to me."  
>Lily clapped her hands "We really should get the teas and coffees done, or everyone will be wondering where we've gone!"<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This is a bit AU, I suppose. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. Please read, review and enjoy!

Chapter Six: In the Library

Lily was on a mission. Nearly three weeks after she first stepped in to the Great Hall at Hogwarts, she was settling in to wizarding life neatly. However, one question wouldn't leave her mind: Did the library have a fiction section? Common sense dictated that Lily should just ask the librarian, but she was chomping at the bit to explore every crevice, nook and cranny of the endless world of books that she had the pleasure of entering and her quest for a fiction section was the perfect excuse.

Presently, Lily was wandering through the Alchemy section, gawping at the arcane books, some of which were nearly as thick as she was tall! Severus was trailing behind her, moodily; she knew she had no real reason to be annoyed but he was putting a heavy damper on her excitement.  
>"You could just go, if you wanted to." She suggested, trying to do it as kindly as possible "I won't be offended."<br>Severus looked up, hurt flashing across his eyes. Lily felt guilty; he'd obviously taken it the wrong way, as he often did. "Don't you want me to come?" he asked petulantly.  
>Lily sighed "You can come along if you want, I would be grateful for the company, it's just that you looked bored."<br>Severus looked relieved "I wasn't bored." He hastened to reassure her "I was just thinking."  
>It was a believable excuse for him, or it would have been had Lily not been slowly working at the defences he had thrown up without warning a fortnight or so ago. Lily didn't say anything though, she just smiled and carried on walking. They passed innumerable shelves of tomes, chatting away quietly about classes as they went, trying their hardest not to disturb the few students studying on such a fine Saturday morning. When the pair reached the extensive Muggle Studies section, which consisted of the equivalent of a whole wall of book shelves, they came across a Ravenclaw girl who was all too happy to be disturbed. She was tall, a bit chubby and very talkative with long black hair (which Lily was quite envious of) and chocolate coloured skin. She said her name was Hattie.<br>"What are you up to?" she asked in an exaggerated whisper "I've seen you walk practically every inch of the floor, are you mapping it?"  
>Lily giggled quietly, although Severus glowered. She began to wonder if he knew the difference between banter and insults, but stopped very quickly. They needed to have a proper conversation about Severus' upbringing but now wasn't the time.<br>"We're looking to see if there's a fiction section." Lily explained.  
>Hattie smiled "Are you now? There is one, but it's quite well hidden." She winked "You might like to team up with your Gryffindor friend to find it."<br>"There's someone else from Gryffindor looking for the fiction section?" Lily asked eagerly, bouncing on the table and making her plaits swing. Severus continued to glower.  
>Hattie grinned at Lily's enthusiasm and nodded "Yep. He was about as tall as your Slytherin friend here, brown haired and had awful scars all over his face, the poor thing, so he probably plays Quidditch."<p>

Lily's eyes widened- the person Hattie described sounded a lot like Remus Lupin. Lily knew that, despite the fact that he hung around with Potter, Remus was quite intelligent but she'd never have guessed that he had an invested interest in reading. She felt like she'd won something. Lily turned around to share her glee with Severus but- to her confusion and disappointment- he took one look at her face and stormed off. Lily followed after him for a few shelves, softly calling his name. Infuriatingly, he didn't stop or even look back as he marched towards the exit of the library, feet battering the flagstones angrily. Lily whirled around with a sigh and made her way back in to the heart of the library. Perhaps Severus would break his habit and learn to talk if Lily ignored the theatrics.

With her friend absent, the Library felt all the more silent, all the more sacred. It gave her time to mull things over, an opportunity Lily never received amongst the clamour of the Gryffindor common room. A lot of things had changed recently and a lot of things had, against all odds, stayed the same. People still teased her for her vibrant hair but those people were wizards and witches now. Lily liked to gather information, but that information now concerned the correct way to cast a particular incantation. Lily would always adore books, on the other hand, and nothing would change that. She felt almost as if the library understood, as if the books welcomed her while she ran her fingers over the hundreds and hundreds of titles on offer. The contact calmed her, Lily's slow footfalls setting a slow tempo and lulling her in to a half-trance. In fact, she was so engrossed in the sensation that meandered straight in to something warm and hard.

The collision brought Lily back to her senses. Remus Lupin was crouched on the floor, picking up books and sorting them in to a neat pile. Lily, realising she must have knocked them out of his grasp while rounding a corner, knelt down to assist him.  
>"Sorry," Lily apologised when all the books were safely in Lupin's arms again "I was in a bit of a daydream."<br>Remus laughed, looking slightly awkward and glancing around. It hit Lily that he was probably nervous about being seen talking to her. Despite her better judgement, she felt hurt.  
>"What's wrong with you?" Remus asked, not unkindly.<br>Lily shrugged, attempting to impart an air of nonchalance "Nothing!"  
>Remus looked unconvinced, but didn't press. A pressing silence fell between the two.<br>Lily coughed for sake of making a noise and said, moving past Remus "Well, I'd best continue my quest for the fiction section."  
>Remus caught up to her, saying brightly "Really? I can show you where it is if you want."<br>Lily half smiled, slightly disarmed by this new, conversational side of him "Yes please."

They exchanged pleasantries as Remus led Lily through avenues of wood towards the back left corner of the library. Eventually, Lily couldn't hold back her curiosity anymore and burst out "Why are you friends with Potter and Black, if you're so clever?"  
>Remus froze. Afraid she'd touched a nerve, Lily began to apologise but the boy in front of her held up a hand to stop her.<br>"We all have problems." He said mysteriously "But underneath all the teasing, tripping and cursing they do they're actually quite pleasant people."  
>Lily looked at him incredulously "<em>James Potter<em> is a _pleasant_ person?"  
>Remus snorted "I said <em>quite <em>pleasant."  
>Lily laughed slightly and then they carried on walking, deeper and deeper in to the ancient library. Eventually, they came up level with the latticed half-wall protecting the Restricted Section. It was one area of the library that Lily wanted very badly to go into, but also one whose books she instinctively wanted to stay well away from. Lily whirled to face Remus.<br>"Is this a trick?" she demanded, redness seeping in to her skin.  
>Remus shook his head fervently "No." he gestured to the book shelf on the wall adjacent to the Restricted Section "The fiction section is there."<br>Lily inspected the shelf. It held various books concerning magical diseases, but none that were in any way fictitious (unless you counted various half-baked theories concerning the Black Death of the 1300s). Lily pursed her lips in thought. On the top shelf was a thick green book embossed with a large 'F' and some other words that were illegible from such a distance. On the next rung down was a blue book embossed similarly with an 'I'. The pattern continued on until, if you traced the books down the shelf, they spelt the word 'FICTION', with a large full stop at the end. A grin spread across Lily's face "A secret door!"  
>"Yep." Confirmed Remus, with no small amount of smugness. Lily decided to let him gloat; he may have found it first but <em>she<em> was standing in front of a real life trap door. Which, admittedly, he'd stood in front of previously. _Ah, well…_

Wasting no time, Lily sprang forwards and pushed and pulled on the full stop book- the book at the end of trail and therefore the book that was, logically, most likely to operate a mechanism- until something clicked. Lily expected to hear the sound of grinding gears and wood sliding along wood, but the only sound the door emitted was a sort of pinging. Intrigued, Lily stepped forwards and touched the bookshelf. Her hand fell straight through, engulfed in a warm sensation before it adjusted to the temperature of the space beyond. Giggling, Lily followed with the rest of her body, green eyes vivid with awe. The room she stepped in to was fantastic. Shelves hugged every wall and books dripped from every surface. Buried under the volumes were two low brown armchairs and an ancient looking coffee table. Even the moving ladder attached to the bookshelves was laden. Lily let out an undignified squeal and dashed right to it, barely noticing Remus enter as she slid along the first shelf. She almost skipped with excitement when, miraculously, she found a book she'd been wanting to read and Lily's jaw dropped when she discovered a fascinating tale penned by a magical author. There was a round of creaking as Remus settled himself in to a chair.  
>"This is amazing!" Lily enthused, spinning around to take in the wonderful place again.<br>"It is quite brilliant, isn't it?" Remus agreed, genuinely smiling.  
>Lily nodded. Suddenly, a thought struck her "Why is it hidden?"<br>Remus frowned "I suppose it's so pure blood parents can't go and demand that the muggle stuff is removed."  
>"What? What does 'Pride and Prejudice' do to offend them?"<br>Remus shrugged "It damns pride and it damns prejudice- two staples for the successful pure blood family."  
>Lily was angry. Interfering parents with warped ideals had no right to lock away books so only a select few could access them!<br>"That's stupid." She seethed "They're stupid!"  
>Remus shrank back from her anger a bit, but concurred.<br>As quickly as it had come, Lily's anger had dissipated. She settled herself down in the other cosy armchair, picked up the nearest book she could find, and began to read. Remus did the same, but soon Lily wasn't paying any attention to him. She remained ensconced in the world of a lowly farm boy hiding his magical ability from a cruel step mother until early evening, when Lily glanced at her watch. With a start, she saw that it was half five and dinner was served at six. Begrudgingly, she set her book down.  
>"It's half five." She informed Remus, her voice sounding scratchy and loud after the long period of quiet. Remus emerged from his book, eyes slightly bleary.<p>

Quickly, they got up and made their way out of the secret door. By the time they exited the library, it was already six o' clock so they hurried to the Great Hall, running parts of the way through oddly noiseless corridors. Dinner was already in full swing when they got to the Hall, but that didn't matter because the delicious aromas reminded Lily that she was, in fact, starving. Remus seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he also quickened his pace, reaching the door before her. Lily put on a burst of speed to catch the door and they both slipped in unnoticed. Out of habit, Lily glanced over to the Slytherin table only to see Severus staring at her, lip curled up ever so slightly. Lily groaned. She would have to explain why she and Remus entered together later, put some of Severus' apparent insecurity to rest. But for now, Lily made her way towards where Alice sat and focussed entirely on the delicious looking chicken that was just too well cooked to waste.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Conversations

A conversation, James Potter mused, had the potential to make or break a person. To welcome someone in or shut them out. He'd overheard a few conversations while he was in the Order of the Phoenix, but none so revealing as those that went on between Remus Lupin and Lily Evans/Potter in the wee hours of the morning. He could picture them now, sat at the table of whichever house they were hiding in, cradling a mug of hot chocolate or tea, respectively. James could imagine their eyes, deep bags etched under them, trained on the grains of the wood, filled with emotion. He sighed, letting long forgotten dialogues flood his mind.

"Good morning, Lily." _The clink of a mug set down on a table._  
><em>A slightly frayed laugh <em>"Morning Remus. Couldn't sleep?" _Clinks and patters of someone preparing tea.  
><em>"No. You?"  
>"Why else would I be drinking tea at 3am?"<br>"Fair point. Any particular reasons?" _A loud slurp._  
>"The world?"<br>"Fair enough." _The pouring of tea, then the harsh scraping of a chair on stone.  
><em>"You?"  
><em>A sigh <em>"Pretty much the same. And the full moon isn't too far off…"  
><em>Her voice was now firm and gentle <em>"Sirius will be fine. He can handle himself nearly as well as you in a fight and he hasn't been off the grid for long."  
>"But, still…"<br>"No buts. Drink your drink."  
><em>A moment of silence as both return to their late night beverages <em>"You're a great woman, you know."  
><em>She was probably blushing <em>"I think you're over-tired."

James smiled. His wife _was _a great, kind, intelligent, beautiful woman. She was just as amazing as his friends, even though- at this point the smile faded from his face- he suspected the stress of the war was getting to them.

"I heard you and Sirius arguing."  
><em>A low voice, laced with pain <em>"Ah. I think most of the world did."  
>"Just half of it."<br>_A half-hearted chuckle _"He hates me. I can tell." _His tone darkens _"He hates me because I'm a no-good half breed and I'm putting all our friends in danger."  
><em>A crash as she does something to draw his attention to her <em>"How _dare _you think that! You are a good, virtuous, upstanding citizen and you had better not let anyone convince you otherwise, or I'll have your guts for garters."  
><em>A small noise, half amusement and half self-loathing <em>"But Sirius…"  
>"Loves you. No matter what's going on in that crazy mind of his, he is your friend and you both know that."<br>_An embarrassed titter _"You're right. I think someone's spiked this."  
>"Someone spike the drink of Remus Lupin, DADA extraordinaire? Preposterous!"<br>_Laughing. _

James found that last statement particularly amusing: they were both such good fighters, but neither of them realised that there was a young man sat outside the kitchen listening to every word they said, even now. Silently, James shifted so his wand wasn't poking in to his stomach. So far this evening, the pair inside the kitchen hadn't said anything particularly interesting. He suspected that they were purposefully avoiding the obvious topic of conversation: Remus' imminent undercover mission. James scowled. He didn't much like the idea of one of his closest friends going in to such a fraught situation without any kind of backup. It sounded like Lily didn't either.  
>"At least let me shadow you."<br>"No!"  
>"For all you know you they might suspect you the minute you approach them and attack."<br>"Lily, they can only turn in to werewolves at the full moon."  
>"I know, but they can duel as humans!"<br>"I'm well aware of that! Can we just stop talking about it, please."  
>"If you don't want to do it…."<br>"Lily. I'm doing it."  
>"Fine, but if I end up scraping you off the pavement then on your head be it."<p>

James managed to scramble away before the kitchen door swung open and Lily stormed out, marching past the shadows in which he was concealed and through the door in to the night. James picked himself up and wandered in to the kitchen, much to Remus' surprise. The werewolf opened his mouth, but was cut off by the sound of a deafening explosion. The pair both jumped out of their skin, hands going automatically to their wands. By the time Remus disentangled himself from the table, James was already out of the door and sprinting to the front, where the explosion originated from. When he reached the door, James froze. The small front garden was coated in thick smoke; swirling around and occasionally lit by a flash of light, it was the perfect way to disorientate them.  
>James' blood ran cold "Lily!" he yelled, panicked.<br>Remus ran in to him just as a muffled reply came from somewhere to his left "James! Get rid of the fog! They're trying to-"she was cut off with a shriek.  
>James snarled, turning towards the source of the sound. Remus grabbed him by the back of his nightclothes "The smoke!" he reminded him.<br>James reluctantly turned back to his friend "How do we get it to go? Remus, you must know!"  
>"Hang on, hang on." Remus muttered. James waited impatiently, facing the garden and prepared for attack, as the cogs turned in Remus' extensive mind. Suddenly, Remus slapped James' shoulder "I've got it."<br>"Good, now get on with it." James commanded, hoping Remus realised he was just scared and didn't take the apparent disrespect to heart.  
>Remus nodded and started to say an incantation, his wand seeming to stir the stagnant air. Bit by bit, the smoke began to dissipate and one by one eight Death Eaters came in to view. James searched for Lily, finally spotting her slumped against the fence, trussed up like a turkey with coils of magical rope. Two masked men (or possibly women, their black robes hid the shape of their bodies) stood holding three wands on her, one of which James recognised as Lily's own.<br>"How did you find this place?" Remus demanded, eyes as steely as James' own.  
>One of the Death Eaters laughed a cool, mirthless laugh "<em>How did you find this place?"<em> he mimicked cruelly "I think you know that, half breed."  
>James' jaw clenched. He was going to kill that one first "What do you want?"<br>The Death Eater turned to him, probably sneering under his mask "The Dark Lord wishes for you and your wife as allies."  
>James snorted "Oh, he does, does he?"<br>The Death Eater advanced on him, but James held his ground, staring directly in to those cold eyes. Cold eyes that, he suspected, had killed many a helpless muggle or innocent muggleborn "Yes." The Death Eater said.  
>"Well," James informed the garden as a whole "We aren't joining them."<br>"Aren't we?"  
>James whipped around to face his wife, mouth hanging open in shock "<em>What?"<em>  
>Lily raised an eyebrow "You didn't exactly ask me first, maybe I wanted to join them."<br>James stared at her in shock. He was sure the Lily he knew would never…._Ah. _Now he saw what she was trying to do "Well, you don't want to join them, do you?"  
>"How do you know what I want? You see that's the thing about you, always presuming." Lily ranted, doing a good imitation of an old woman.<br>"Always presuming? When do I ever presume?"  
>"Oh, I don't know, when Remus," she put a little more emphasis on the last word than was strictly necessary, prompting their werewolf friend to shift slightly beside James "asked about drinks yesterday. When…" the ropes that bound Lily fell free all at once and she bounded up, snatching her wand from the Death Eater that held it.<br>"How?" the Death Eater nearest to James spluttered as Lily began to duel their enemies.  
>"Simple untying spell." Remus said smugly before blasting the black cloaked man to the other side of the garden.<br>James grinned, slapping his friend on the back before running off to join the fray, curses lighting up the sky like ten Guy Fawkes days rolled in to one. It lasted for about half an hour, but the three of them managed to overpower the Death Eaters, who apparated away, six unconscious ones held by their fellows. The friends closed the door when the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, assured that the commotion had ended.

_The clink of three mugs being set on a table _"Well, that was an eventful night."  
>"You could say that."<br>"It was fun."  
>"You would say that." <em>The two who spoke as one laugh. <em>  
>"Sirius will be sad he missed it."<br>"Mmm."  
>"'You alright?"<br>"I'll be glad when this war's over."  
>"I concur."<br>_Companionable silence.  
><em>"You're a sneaky person, Lily. Almost as sneaky as me."  
><em>Giggling <em>"Oh, is that so?"  
><em>A noise resembling an octopus licking envelopes <em>"Please! Not in the kitchen!"  
><em>The tired laughing of three very relieved, stressed but simultaneously happy human beings<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This will be the last one-shot, I think, because that means that there will be seven- a wizard's lucky number. Therefore, I would like to thank anyone who has ever reviewed, favourite, followed or read this story! I won't list individual people because then I might miss someone out and they would be offended. I still don't own anything, by the way. Thank you and good day! :) **


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